Utility holder



J. E. BORAH UTILITY HOLDER A ril 12, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept; 23, 1957 FIG.

FIG.4

INVENTOR JOHN E. B O R A H AT TOR NEY April 12, 1960 J. E. BORAH 2,932,119

UTILITY HOLDER Filed Sept. 23, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH FIG. I0 7 4% ATTORNEY April 12, 1960 J. E. BORAH 2,932,119

UTILITY HOLDER Filed Sept. 23, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. ll

FIG.|4

FIGQIZ INVENTOR.

JOHN E. BORAH ATTORNEY UTILITY nornna. iohn E. Bot-ah, Mishawaka, Ind. Application September 23, I957, Serial No. 685,506 a Claims. (of. 454s)- and having a plurality of suction cups whicheffectively grip a supporting. surface and hold the holder firmly in place at a convenient location for the user of the articles.

Another object of theinventionis to provide an article holder for use around the lavatory, bath tub and kitchen sink, employing a plurality of suction cups for securing ts 1mmthe holderin place in combination with a water receiving chamber surrounding the cups for catching the water draining: from the articles and simultaneously increasing the gripping action of the cups on the holder mounting surface.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the aforesaid type having mea'nsfor gripping the supportingsu'r-face and having two separate interlocking} rnernbers forming a' concealed, easily cleaned receptaci'e for catching the water draining from the bars and articles;

a A further object of the invention is to provide a device for holding articles such as bars" ofsoap which maps itself to various sized bars and articles and which holds them in an effective draining? position.

Another object is to provide a utility holder of the aforesaid type which is relatively easy to fabricate with standard" equipment and which can easily be mounted and firmly attachedto unevensupporting surfaces.-

Gohventional soap dishes and holders used around raver-arresam tubs and kitchen-sinks either retain the water draining from the soap in thebottom where sufficient soon collects to submerge the lower portion of the" soap, orthey drain the water through holes in or nearthe bottom, permitting the water todrip from the dish or holder indiscriminately for some time after the soap has been used. Inthe former type the soap is softened by the water; in the holder and becomes unpleasant" to use, arid-the softened portion of the soap easily washes away,- causing serious soap wastage. The soap also tends t'o' c ak'e in the bottom and the holder becomes, difficult to cleanthoroughly so'thatthese devices often do not long retain theirnew appearance. In the latter type, dripping of the soapy water for some time after the soap has been used soils the lavatory, tub or sink with driedsoap spots and streaks; It is therefore one of the presentobjects' to provide. a soap holder which overcomes these difiicult'ies and one which can readily be mounted in any suitable location and easily removed for cleaning;

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent from thefollowing description and accompanying drawin'g's, wherein:

Figure 1" is a re plarr view or one embodiment of my utility holder;

2 L 2' is afvertical cross sectional view of theutility holder shown in Figure 1', taken on line 2---2;'

Figure 3 is a bottom view of the utility holder shown in Figures I and 2;

Figure'4 is a vertical cross sectional view of a modified form ofmy utility holder;

Figure 5 is a bottom view of the utility holder shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is" a vertical cross sectional view of another niodifi'ed form of my utility holder;

Figure 7 is a bottom view of the utility holder" shown in Figure 6;'.

Figure 8' is a vertical cross sectional view of another rnodified form of my utility holder;

I, Figure 9 is a bottom view of the holder shott ri in Figure 8; V I

Figure 10 is a side elevational' view of one of the parts of the holder shown in Figures 8 and- 9;

Figure 1I' is a top plan view of a. further modified tens of my utility holder; V v

Figure I2 is a vertical cross sectional view of the holder shown in Figure 11, taken on line 12-12 Figure 13 is a fragmentary vertical cross sectional view'of a variation in the modification shown in Figures l1 and 1 2; and

Figure 14 is" a fragmentary top plan view of a portion orthe holder shown in Figure 13.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and to the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, my utility holder consists of a disc shaped body 20 having a concave upper surface 22 draining to a centrally located cup shaped sump 24 for catching and retaining the water dripping from a bar of soap placed on the holder. In order to' hold the bar of soap on edge so that the water can drain effectively therefrom and flow into sump 24 and so that the bar can be easily grasped by the user to lift'it fromthe holder, four posts 26 are provided on the concave upper surface to hold the bar on one of its edges. These posts are spaced equally around the concave surface and at sufficient distance from the center thata new bar of soap can fit between the posts and rest on projections 28 arranged in a circle near the edge of the sump, or on radially arranged ribs 30 disposed between the posts. The projections and ribs contact the bottom of the soap is only limited areas and hold the soap off the upper surface so that water can drain under the bar. This permits the soap to dry over its entire surface and prevents the formation of thick soap solutions along the lower edge of the bar and on the upper surface of the holder. As the bar becomes thin and small from usage, the posts may be spaced too far apart to hold the bar on one of its edges. The bar is then leaned against two of the posts, and projections 28 and/ or ribs 30, depending on the shape of the bar, prevent the bar from slipping from its vertical position. If the bar of soap is rectangular in shape, the lower corners rest on the radial ribs, whereas if the 'bar is oval or round in shape it rests on the projections. The positions assumed by these two bar shapes are illustrated by broken lines in Figures 2 and 4, by numerals 32 and 3.4, respectively. Four radial grooves 36 extending from the outer edge of the concave surface and terminating at the sump facilitate draining of the soapy water into the sump. An upstanding peripheral annular flange 38 is preferably provided on the upper surface of the body to prevent the soapy water solution from wet bars of thereto four suction cups 40 disposed a short distance in from the periphery of the body and arranged in equally spaced relationship. The cups are connected to the body by a short neck 42 formed integrally with the cups and the body, and since the cup shaped portion in the center of the body forming the sump projects below the bottom surface of the body, neck 42 must be sutficiently long that the cups can assume their gripping position without the bottom of the sump engaging the supporting surface. A plurality of suction cups arranged in the manner shown in the drawings not only provides a good gripping action for holding the holder securely to relatively large, smooth supporting surfaces such as the ledge around the lavatory, bath tub and kitchen sink, but each cup will operate independently to secure the holder to smaller areas where only one or two cups can grip effectively. While the suction cups are shown disposed directly below posts 26, the cups can be placed in other positions on the bottom surface. Four equally spaced legs 44 are attached to the bottom surface near the periphery of the body between the cups for lending stability to the holder while it is being held in gripping position by the suction cups. These legs are sufficiently long to give substantial support to the body of the holder but are short enough not to interfere with the gripping action of the suction cups. The suction cups as well as the entire holder are made of natural or synthetic rubber or other suitable flexible material and may be formed as a one piece unit in the molding operation. The walls defining the sump are sufliciently thin and flexible to permit them to be turned wrong side out, i.e. the bottom pushed upwardly through the opening at the top of the sump, where they can be effectively cleaned.

In the modifications shown in Figures 4 and 5 the upper surface of the body and the features associated therewith are identical in construction and function as those features of the embodiment just described; therefore, like reference characters have been applied to like parts and a detailed description of those parts is omitted. The underside of the body of this modification is flat and has mounted thereon four suction cups 50 connected to the body by necks 52 and an annular peripheral downwardly and preferably slightly outwardly extending flange 54. The lower edge of the flange is adapted to engage and form an effective seal with the supporting surface 58 when the suction cups are pressed into gripping position on the supporting surface. The flange 54 also gives stability to body 20 and prevents the holder from rocking and tilting. In this modification the sump 24 of the preceding modification has been removed and an opening 60 is employed in its place for connecting the upper surface of the holder with a chamber 62 defined by the lower surface of body 20, flange 54 and supporting surface 58. With this construction the soapy water which drains from the bar of soap placed in the holder flows down the upper concave surface 22, through opening 60 into chamber 62 where it is retained until the holder is removed from the supporting surface for cleaning. While the basic concept of forming a water retaining chamber beneath the soap holder using the supporting surface as the bottom of the chamber, sealing the chamber with an annular flange on the bottom of the holder and a suction cup in the chamber for attaching the holder to the supporting surface is disclosed and claimed in my copending application mentioned supra, the present invention employs a plurality of suction cups disposed adjacent the inside edge of the annular flange 54 in order to concentrate the forcessecuring the holder to the supporting surface at the flange so that an effective seal will be maintained between the lower edge of the flange and said surface. The water draining into chamber 62 surrounds the lower edge of the suction cups and the adjacent ,area of the supporting surface and thereby assists in forming and maintaining effective gripping by the cups.

The utility holder shown in Figures 6 and 7-is similar the upper surface.

in many respects to the embodiment shown in Figures 1 through 3, hence like numerals will be used for like parts. In this embodiment the sump as such has been eliminated and a centrally located suction cup 70 extends downwardly from the lower surface of body 20 and a centrally located dome shaped member 72 extends upwardly from In the one shown, the cup and dome shaped members are formed as a single integrated unit with an annular groove 74 therebetween into which the portion of body 20 defining the opening seats and secures the cup and dome in place in the holder. The joint between the body and the dome and cup unit is sufliciently tight that water collecting on the upper surface 22 will not leak through to the underside of the holder. The water draining from the bars of soap placed in the holder flows inwardly along the concave surface 22 and down grooves 36 and collects in the lower portion of the surface around the dome shaped member 72. This member which forms a substantial projection in the center of the holder holds the'bars of soap, particularly the oval shaped bars, above and to the side of the pool of water collecting around the member so that the soap can dry over its entire surface and not become and remain gelatinous along its lower edge. The rectangular bars may bridge member 72 and the surrounding water and come in contact with the holder only at opposite points near the outside edges of the concave surface 22. In order to stabilize the holder so that it will not rock or vibrate after it has been secured to the supporting surface, a plurality of legs 76, seven being employed in the embodiment shown, are disposed around the bottom of body 20 near the outside edge thereof. These legs are preferably formed integrally with the holder body and are slightly shorter than the suction cup when the latter is in its non-gripping position so that they will not interfere with the action of the cup when the holder is pressed into place on the supporting surface.

In the modification of my utility holder shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10 the upper surface 22 and the features associated therewith are identical to those shown in Figures 1, 2 and 4 and perform the same function as those previously described. In this embodiment the sump for catching the water draining from the soap is formed in a separate unit on which the holder body 20 is mounted. This sump unit consists of a disc shaped bottom 82 having around its periphery an upstanding annular flange 84 and a downwardly extending annular flange 86, both flanges being joined integrally with the bottom and flange 84 in conjunction with the bottom forming a shallow receptacle or sump 88 for the soapy water. The holder is supported by flange 84 engaging shoulder 90 and extends downwardly into the receptacle a substantial distance below the upper edge of the flange so that the holder will not become accidentally displaced from the unit 80. Flange 84 is preferably slightly smaller than the holder so that it will have a slight gripping action on the side of the holder body to further secure the holder and unit 80 together. As seen from Figure 8, when the holder and unit 80 are assembled, flange 84 and flange 38 are flush with one another so that a continuous vertical side surface is presented by the holder and sump unit. Secured to the underside of bottom 82 are four suction cups 96 attached integrally thereto by necks 98 and extending a short distance below the lower edge of flange 86 where they can'effectively grip the supporting surface without interference from the flange. In this embodiment flange 86 is employed merely as a stabilizing element for the sump unit and bolder and can be replaced by a plurality of legs such as those shown in Figures 3 and 7.

The soapy water on draining from the soap, flows down surface 22, through hole 60 into sump 88 where it remains until the assembly is cleaned. In order to clean the assembly the holder ,is'merely lifted from the sump unit and washed and the unit is disengaged from the supporting surface and washed. Since the jchamber formed by the sump unit after the holder is mounted thereonis completely enclosed except for opening 60, very little evaporation of the water takes place so that the soap is in an easily removable solution when the holder and sump unit are disassembled for cleaning.

The embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 11 through 14 consists of a two piece holder and sump unit combination, both the holder and sump unithaving a number of features in common with those of the previously described embodiments. The holder 100 consists of a disc shaped body 102 having a concave upper surface 194 on which are disposed a series of radial ribs 106 extending from a central opening 108 to the external edge of the body and four posts 110 equally spaced from one another at a short distance inwardly from the edge. These posts are the same as posts 26 previously described and perform the same function. Radial ribs 106 form supports for the soap and hold it above surface 104 so that the soapy water draining from the soap can pass under the bar and flow to central opening 108 and also hold the thin used bars upright against two adjacent posts to facilitate drainage and to assist the user in grasping the bars when the soap is to be reused. This sump unit is substantially the same as the one shown in Figures 8, 9 and 10, including bottom 82, annular flanges 84 and 86 at the upper and lower edges of the bottom and suction cups 96, but instead of supporting the holder with flange 84, has recesses 112 in the upper surfaces of the bottom for receiving legs 114 and thereby retaining the holder in its centered position in the sump unit. The holder in this embodiment is somewhat smaller than annular flange 84 so that, if the .bar of soap is placed in the holder with a portion extending beyond and resting on the outside edge of surface 104, the water draining from that portion will flow down the outside surface of the holder into the sump chamber 116. The water draining from the portion of the soap bar over surface 104 drips onto said surface and flows to and through hole 108 into chamber 116. A stem 118 attached to the central portion of bottom 82 projects upwardly through opening 108 to form a support for oval bars of soap so that they will not seat over the opening and restrict the free drainage of soapy water from the holder into chamber 116. When this type of utility holder is to be cleaned, holder 100 can easily be lifted from the sump unit and the holder and unit freely washed clean of the accumulated soap and dirt deposits.

Figures 13 and 14 illustrate a variation of the embodiment shown in Figures 11 and 12. In this form recesses 112 have been eliminated and the holder centering function of the recesses is performed by a centrally located stern 120 on the sump unit, which is almost as large in diameter as the centrally located opening 108 of the holder. To permit the free flow of water from surface 104 through opening 108 into chamber 116, a plurality of vertical grooves 122 are provided in the surface of stem 120 extending from a point above surface 104 to a point below the bottom of body 102. This holder and sump combination is used and cleansed in the same man ner as the one shown in Figures 11 and 12.

While all of the embodiments of my invention illustrated herein would normally be made of rubber and/or rubber-like material, various combinations of materials may be used. For example, in some of the embodiments, such as those shown in Figures 6 and 12, the holder body may be constructed of plastic and the suction cup 70 of Figure 6 and the sump unit 80 of Figure 12 constructed of rubber or rubber-like material. Various other modifications and changes, including various combinations of the features disclosed herein, can be made without departing from the scopeof the present invention.

I claim: p I l k l. A device for holding and draining; a disc shaped resilient body having a coneav face and a substantially flat lower surface, posts spaced from one another on said upper surfac plurality of radially disposed ribs onsaidupper u fa etween said posts, a peripheral annular flange extending upwardlyv from said body, four suction cups connected by necks to said lower surface, a means adjacent the center of said body for receiving water draining from said upper surface, and means extending downwardly from said lower surface for stabilizing said" body.

2. A device for ho'ldinga'nd draining. soap, comprising a disc shaped resilient body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, a plurality of upstanding posts spaced from one another on said upper surface, a plurality of radially disposed means on said upper surface between said posts, a suction cup connected to said lower surface, a means adjacent the center of said body for receiving water draining from said upper surface, and means extending downwardly from said lower surface for stabilizing said body.

3. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a disc shaped resilient body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, a plurality of upstanding posts spaced from one another on said upper surface, a suction cup connected to said lower surface, and means extending downwardly from said lower surface for stabilizing said body.

4. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a resilient body having a concave upper surface, a plurality of upstanding posts spaced from one another, a plurality of suction cups connected to the lower surface of said body, and means extending downwardly from said lower surface for stabilizing said body.

5. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a resilient body having a concave upper surface, a plurality of upstanding posts' spaced from one another, a plurality of suction cups connected to said body, a means in the center of said body for receiving water draining from said upper surface, and means extending downwardly from the lower surface of said body for stabilizing the body. if

6. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, four suction cups connected by necks to said lower surface, a resilient flange around said cups extending downwardly from said body and being adapted to contact and form a seal with the supporting surface of said device to form a sump, and a hole in the center of said body connecting said upper surface with said sump.

7. A device for holding and draining-soap, comprising a disc shaped body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, a plurality of suction cups connected to said lower surface, a resilient annular flange around said cups extending downwardly from said body and being adapted to contact and form a seal with the supporting surface of said device to form a chamber, and a hole in the center of said. body connecting said upper surface with said chamber.

8. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a disc shaped body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower surface, a plurality of upstanding posts spaced from one another on said upper surface,

a plurality of suction cups connected to said lower surface, a resilient annular flange around said cups extending downwardly from said body and being adapted to contact and form a. seal with the supporting surface of said device to form a chamber, and a hole in the center of saidbody connecting said upper surface with said chamber.

9. A device for holding and draining soap, comprising a disc shaped body having a concave upper surface and a substantially flat lower Surface, a plurality of upstanding surface, a

se grooves and ribs on said p i f'beiween said posts, a peripheral annular 5 'ng upwardly from said body, a plurality of s connected to said lower surface, a resilient 55211131 flange around said cups extending downwardly From said body and being adapted to contact and form a seal with the supporting surface of said device to form a chamber, and a hole in the center of said body connecting said upper surface with said chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,710 Myers Ian. 11, 1916 7 8 Bandy Jan. 31, Heliote July 5, Donofrio Feb. 20, Wilmington Sept. 13,

FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 26, Great Britain June 25, Italy Mar. 22, Great Britain May 23,

Great Britain Nov. 30, 

